Police revealed that CCTV footage released that was thought to have shown Murphy going for a jog before her disappearance is actually of a different woman.
Police revealed that CCTV footage released that was thought to have shown Murphy going for a jog before her disappearance is actually of a different woman.
Australian police investigating the disappearance of Ballarat mother-of-three Samantha Murphy have made the grim next step of calling in homicide detectives as the hunt enters its sixth day.
The 51-year-old resident of Ballarat, Victoria, went missing on Sunday at 7am after going for a run in the Canadian State Forest, with police describing her disappearance as “out of character”.
The morning Murphy vanished, she was seen on her own security camera system wearing a brown singlet and black half-length leggings.
On Thursday afternoon, Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said police are “keeping an open mind” on all possibilities, and say there are “no suspicious circumstances that we’ve identified at this stage”.
However, the Herald Sun has reported that Victoria Police will call in homicide detectives as early as today.
The woman was seen running in the opposite direction to Canadian State Forest where Murphy had planned to run, raising the theory that police may have been searching in the wrong area.
However, in a turn of events, it was revealed on Thursday night the CCTV footage put out by police which was thought to show Murphy going for a jog is actually of a different woman.
Footage thought to be of Samantha Murphy turned out to be of a different woman.
A local resident came forward to identify themselves in the footage in a bid to help investigators.
It was the second time in 24 hours police had to declare evidence as irrelevant to the high-profile case.
Earlier this week, police removed reporters from a crime scene after officers were alerted to items of interest.
However, it was determined they did not belong to the missing mother and were not relevant in her disappearance.
A police update on Friday morning could not categorically rule out foul play.
“We haven’t ruled out anything – the focus is finding her,” Inspector Bob Heany said.
Murphy was believed to have been wearing an Apple Watch and was carrying her phone when she disappeared.
Her phone reportedly pinged in the nearby suburb of Buninyong. Police are still making inquiries into the phone.
“Obviously, phones can run out of battery but that forms part of the investigation.”
Samantha Murphy's daughter Jess Murphy told media: "Mum's a really strong woman and she's far too determined to give up this fight. I know she's out there somewhere."
Samantha Murphy daughter’s plea
The missing 51-year-old’s daughter, Jess, spoke to media on Thursday thanking family, friends and the community for their “continuous love and support”.
She spoke of her mother’s strength and believes she’s “out there somewhere”.
“Mum’s a really strong woman and she’s far too determined to give up this fight.
